The bottom line doesn’t have to be a flat line, say the founders of a social enterprise which hopes to harness entrepreneurship to alleviate poverty in Windsor-Essex.

Business students Bruna Gjini and Ian Stecher teamed up with new graduate Ben Scholl to form the Good Exchange, and are working with the Summer Founders Program of the Entrepreneurship Practice and Innovation Centre (EPICentre) to launch their company.

They plan to issue a currency for recyclable materials and volunteer labour.

“We’ve recognized that individuals in our community who collect and include the consignment of alcoholic beverage containers in their income are often underappreciated for the public service they perform,” Stecher says. “Our goal is to legitimize, destigmatize, and expand our members’ ability to perform the service they provide.”

Scholl, who will begin studies this fall towards a master’s degree in communications and social justice, says he is excited to create a social enterprise.

“Over the last couple of years of my undergrad, I became increasingly drawn towards social entrepreneurship as a means of conducting business,” he says. “It has the potential to provide more holistic benefits to communities.”

And Gjini says the RBC Summer Founders Program can help the team make connections necessary to success.

“A large portion of our business will rely on building a network in the community,” she says. “Working with EPICentre will allow us to tap into a wealth of pre-existing local business networks and lend us immediate legitimacy.”

This is the seventh in a series of articles introducing participants in the RBC Summer Founders Program, leading up to a showcase of their prototypes on August 1 at EPICentre. Learn more on the centre’s website.

A prize package on offer from the University of Windsor Alumni Association is sure to enhance anyone’s enjoyment of summer. Up for grabs is a folding chair ideal for lawn or beach, a pair of sunglasses, a toy flying disk, and an inflatable beachball — all bearing the alumni imprimatur.

To enter the contest, just send your answers to the following three trivia questions. The winner will be selected at random from all correct responses received by noon Wednesday, July 25.

1. Which Canadian song was adapted as an animated musical short for the Sonny and Cher TV show and later released on the videotape John Wilson’s Mini Musicals?
   a) “I’m Like a Bird,” Nelly Furtado
   b) “Constant Craving,” k.d. lang
   c) “I Will Remember You,” Sarah McLachlan
   d) “Big Yellow Taxi,” Joni Mitchell
   e) “Forever and For Always,” Shania Twain
    
2. Which song opens with the lyrics “Well, I’m on my way to the city life”?
   a) “Takin’ Care of Business,” Bachman-Turner Overdrive
   b) “Sunglasses at Night,” Corey Hart
   c) “Working for the Weekend,” Loverboy
   d) “Patio Lanterns,” Kim Mitchell
   e) “Sweet City Woman,” Stampeders
    
3. Which song was used as the theme to the television series The Littlest Hobo?
   a) “Keep the Car Running,” Arcade Fire
   b) “If I Had $1,000,000,” Barenaked Ladies
   c) “Maybe Tomorrow,” Terry Bush
   d) “Life is a Highway,” Tom Cochrane
   e) “Wheat Kings,” Tragically Hip
    

Contest is open to all readers of the DailyNews. Send an e-mail with your responses to uofwnews@uwindsor.ca. One entry per contestant, please. Note: the decision of the judge in determining the most correct response is inviolable.

People in Windsor are nice, says Yanhong (Amelia) Yang, who came to the city from her home in China’s Inner Mongolia region to pursue MBA studies in accounting.

“People are very friendly here,” says Yang. “They always say: ‘How are you? Have a nice day.’ That is nice.”

After completing a degree in public administration in China, she decided to gain international experience: “I wanted to see the world,” and is now enrolled in the English Language Improvement Program. She knows she has work to do to be able to express herself.

“It’s a little challenging for me,” Yang says. “The teacher challenges us to always do better.”

She has enjoyed cultural exchange with classmates from around the world, and says Canada is a welcoming place.

“When I have graduated, I want to stay and work in Canada,” she says.

Yang will begin master’s studies at the Odette School of Business in September.

Bone conduction technology that allows wearers to hear their surroundings make Trekz Titanium wireless stereo headphones the safest alternative to traditional sport earbuds, says Martin Deck.

Marketing co-ordinator for the Campus Bookstore, he says it is proud to offer a number of models with open-ear design.

“Your ears remain completely open to all ambient sounds,” says Deck. “These headphones deliver crystal-clear music while ensuring maximum situational awareness.”

Designed with athletes in mind, the lightweight and comfortable headphones are sweat-proof and secure even during long-term wear; a single charge will last for six hours of use. The wraparound headbands employ Bluetooth wireless connectivity to a smartphone or other device.

The Campus Bookstore is offering them for $129.95. Check them out online or in the store, located on the lower level of the CAW Student Centre.